As an artist almost nothing is better than being really REALLY excited about a painting you are working on.

I often surprise myself with how a painting is turning out. I love when this happens! My technique involves a lot of pouring paint then walking away until it has dried. I can guess what colour the paint will dry pretty accurately (which is tough when working with acrylic glazes). But I can’t always predict how the layer I just poured will interact with the ones underneath. Again, I can hazard some educated guesses bases on past experiences and experiments. But sometimes I walk away from a painting to let it dry and magic happens.

I am super excited about one particular painting right now. I’ve had this painting in my head since May of last year, but haven’t been able to get it onto the canvas quite to my satisfaction, until now.

I will often pour paint while my son naps in the afternoon, then return to my studio after he’s in bed for the night. The other night I returned to my studio, saw how my paint had dried, and literally let out a “Squee!” with a happy dance.

I can be motivated fairly easily, whether by an upcoming show or event, or a commission that is due. But it is so much easier to get downstairs and put paint on canvas when I’m excited by what is happening. Painting is fun! That’s the whole reason I’m an artist.